By YM/Pvt Isabella Benson Lapeer County (MI) Being a Young Marine to me means liv- ing a drug-free lifestyle, a healthier life- style, and a cleaner lifestyle. Being a Young Marine means a lot to me and my family. It means that you set examples for all of the other youth. The Young Marines is a great organization; it shows the dangers of drugs and how to avoid getting drawn into the life threatening trap of drugs. The first day I went to recruit training I fell in love with the program. It means a lot to me to wake up every Thursday knowing I have Young Marines later that evening; it also means a lot to know I’m safe from the life threatening trap of drugs because I’ve been taught the side effects of them and how they affect the body. Being a Young Marine means you need to respect your par- ents,the staff,the Young Marines,your coun- try, and everybody in it. It also means you must have trust, you need to trust everyone but they also need to trust you. The Young Marines have teamwork, they stick together and they work together, and they work hard at it and they stick to it! Even though I’m only a Private, I try to be the best possible Young Marine I can be. And that is what be- ing a Young Marine means to me. Lapeer County: What Being a Young Marine Means to Me By YM/Private Braden Taylor Mountain View (CO) The first time I saw a Young Marine was at a local parade, I was immediately interested because he was wearing a uniform like my dad used to wear in the United States Air Force. The very same year, I saw another Young Marine working with Toys for Tots. That was it, I wanted to learn more. After we found out what the organization was, we did some research. I learned that I needed to be in good standing at school. My grades and behavior were not su- per good, so I had some work to do. I worked hard all year, and raised my grades to all A’s and B’s. Even my teacher noticed and said I was a different kid since the start of the year. This made it possible for me to join the Young Marines program. On the first weekend of training, I learned so much! My favorite thing was running the “hill” and eating chow. I re- ally enjoyed climbing the hill because it was a challenge to me and I was able to succeed. The most challenging thing was Close Order Drill. The training days were very long, we went to bed at 2200 and woke up at 0600. That was not much time to get changed, brush our teeth, and make our rack. Any extra time we spend studying. After graduating, I’m looking forward to doing those things that I saw before I joined. Marching in a parade, taking part in Veterans Day events, encampments, and National Na- vajo Code Talker Day. I am also looking forward to PT, and wearing my uniform proudly. I am really thankful for this opportunity and am excited to see where this journey will take me. YM Private: “... I Was Able to Succeed” Recruits and mentors take on the challenge of climbing UC’s “hill”. YM/Pvt Casey Sparks and YM/Pvt Isabella Benson helping with VFW Poppy Sales. YOUNG MARINES ESPRIT Online 27